Nintendo Delists A Dark Room After the Developer Sneaks in a Code Editor.

Last Friday, Nintendo delisted the text based game, A Dark Room, from the Nintendo Switch eShop not long after the game’s developer, Amir Rajan, announced that he had added a secret code editor to the game prior to its release. Rajan made the announcement in a post on social media stating that he added the editor and a Ruby interpreter as an Easter Egg for players to discover in the game. “This Easter Egg effectively turns every consumer spec-ed Nintendo Switch into a Ruby Machine,” according to Rajan.

Rajan would even include the necessary steps players needed to take to access the hidden code editor. All players would need to do was connect a USB keyboard to their Nintendo Switch, and then press the Tilda (~) key to have access to the editor. In a reply to his original post, Rajan would show a short clip of the editor running on the console.

Nintendo did not take lightly to the hidden code editor being in the game and swiftly removed A Dark Room from the eShop to the surprise of Rajan and the game’s publisher Circle Entertainment. In statements given to Eurogamer, Rajan expressed regret about his decision to add the editor stating, “I deeply regret how this has blown up,” and then adding he included the code editor as a “spark of inspiration.” Rajan would even appear regretful for Circle Entertainment having to deal with the situation.

Having Circle deal with some of this cannon fire is not something I’d ever want. These past three days have been the worst days of my life. And I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry, and all I wanted to do was allow kids (and coding adults that have forgotten the joy) to discover what I discovered 25 years ago.

Circle Entertainment would also give a statement to Eurogamer stating that they have contacted and are waiting for a response from Nintendo on “the next steps and will deal with the matter accordingly.” It is currently unknown if A Dark Room will be available on the Nintendo Switch again after this incident.